The Whole of the Parts

Earth Life is a gift in perpetual motion. It’s a moving experience. Trees sway, clouds float, leaves fall and rain drops, and it is important for us to move with It, mentally and emotionally, as well as physically. Trying to hold onto any of Life’s moving parts can be detrimental to our well-being, and have a negative impact on our health, happiness and peace of mind.

If we want to enjoy this Earth experience while It’s happening, if we want to savor every last drop of being alive here and now, we need to be fully present where Life is happening, which is right where we are. Whether we’re out and about or alone in our room, we’re in perpetual motion. Even while we’re sitting in a chair or lying in bed, the Energy of Life beats our heart, breathes our body, and flows through our veins and arteries. We’re created to move with ease into each new moment where Life is happening. We’re only here now. This moment is the only moment where our life is happening.

If our mind is filled with thoughts of yesterday—whether we spend our mental energy regretting something we’ve done, or just wishing the good times hadn’t gone by so quickly—we abandon the present moment and miss the gift of our life that is happening now. If our mind is filled with thoughts of tomorrow—whether we’re worried about the future of our health, wealth or family, or we’re focused on the future because we’re convinced life will be better once this happens or that happens—we abandon the present moment and miss the gift of our life that is happening now.

Life may go on without us for others, but our life can’t go anywhere without us. Life is being life uniquely through us every moment. But we can’t experience the moments of our life deeply if we’re not fully Present to live them. Every moment of our life is created with us in mind. If we’re not fully present to participate as our self, no one else in the Universe can “stand in” for us. We each play a unique and essential part in the Wholeness of Life. It’s a part no one else is intended to play, and no one else can even though we may have people in our life who believe they know what role we should play in life (especially in theirs), and what we should think about the people, conditions and situations in our life, and what we should do about them.

The practice of spiritual generosity is about giving fully to Life from the Life within us. It is the practice of consciously listening to our Inner Being (the One that actually knows who we are created to be) and trusting the Guidance we find there. But we won’t feel It within us, or even look for It within us, if we’re trying to live up to someone else’s idea of what life is, or asking others who we should be in it. It is only as we make a commitment to be our self, and to give honestly from our self by becoming aware of what we honestly think, how we truly feel, and deciding for our self which thoughts feel good and which ones don’t, that we gain access to our power to create the life we want to live, and to live it from our highest potential.

How do we get from doubt to certainty and from confusion to clarity? How do we move our thinking from a sense we’re not enough? Our becoming aware of the difference between “deductive” and “inductive” reasoning can be helpful.

Deductive reasoning is reasoning that moves from the “general to the particular,” or from the “whole to the parts,” usually following steps that are similar to the steps in affirmative prayer. The first step in deductive reasoning is a premise. For example, “All apples are fruits.” The next step is a second premise, “Granny Smith is an apple.” And finally there is an inference: “Therefore, since all apples are fruits, and Granny Smith is an apple, the Granny Smith has to be a fruit.” We begin affirmative prayer with the premise “All Life is God.” The second premise is “I am alive.” The inference: “Therefore, since all Life is God, and I am alive, I am as God is.”

Inductive reasoning is the opposite of deductive reasoning because it makes broad assumptions from specific observations. It looks at one particular thing and makes a conclusion about everything. In other words, it judges according to appearances. Inductive reasoning allows for conclusions to be false. For example, “Harold is a grandfather. Harold is bald. Therefore, all grandfathers are bald.” If we want to know the Truth of who we are and what Life is, we can’t get there judging by appearances. Our conclusions may be false.

The Truth that sets us free to be all we are created to be begins with the Whole Truth (and nothing but the Truth) that lives in all the parts. In our self-expression, no matter how we choose to express our self, because we are alive we are part of Life, Itself. In fact, we are so One with the Universal Wholeness that what is true of It is also true of us.

It takes courage live beyond appearances and to accept we are more than enough wherever we are and whatever we’re doing. But no matter where we have been before, no matter what we have done before, and no matter what our limitations may appear to be, the Truth is that right now, right where we are, the Universal Wholeness is expressing Itself in form and expression as us.

A good question to ask our self is, “Who am I allowing tell me who to be and how to be—doctors, family, friends, coworkers, the news?” What do we allow to stop us from living fully? Age can’t do. Lack of money can’t do it. Lack of time can’t do it. Lack of opportunity can’t do it. Only we can do it. Only we can say “I’m not enough” to life.

We’re created to create an extraordinary life in our own unique way. A life that is beautiful and filled with Joy. An individual life that extends the Nature of the Universal Wholeness into creation through us. But it’s up to each of us to answer the “casting call” to be our self and live our part. No one else can do it.